Toilet room doors, you all need a laugh...at my expense

was helping a mate install doors in new house and remembered this.

toilet doors.....why the hell do they open inwards?
ever tried to get someone out of the room after they had a heart attack and fall against the dunny door,
run around side of house
rip fly screen off
bloody window slide is jammed
smash window
cardboard over edge
climb in through window
pull MIL away from door sort of...wasnt dignified but hey....
by this time ambo is arriving plus the police cause the stupid bitch next door neighbour hears breaking glass and someones ass going in through said window
SES then called to remove in door

MIL survived and still rants at me

Mates dunny door now opens outwards

That is pretty much exactly why my father insisted we installed a door that swings both ways to the small powder room downstairs in my place. The powder room is pretty small, and if you fell over you would definitely block the door from opening even with force.

It is a building requirement for new homes that the door either open out or have lift off hinges ( most common option) if the door is within 1.5m of pan for that exact reason

Another reason for door not opening inwards.

As a kid we lived for a time in a house with a very small dunny with no lock on the door which opened inwards barely clearing the pan. One time I remember attempting a particularly difficult movement and bent over double in pain one of my brother threw the door open and it clocked me hard on the top of the scone. I passed out and fell onto on the floor. Mum was out but fortunately Dad was home and able to get me up and out and I quickly came to with one of the most splitting headaches I have ever had, and eventually an egg size lump on the top of my skull. Dad gave me an aspro and told me to lie down. By the time mum got back from the shops I was horsing about in the back yard with my brothers.

I don't understand why all internal doors are not sliding doors

If fitting a privacy lock, make sure it can be unlocked on the outside.
I had a client (with young child) who wanted a bolt fitted inside the bathroom. Would make it difficult to access in an emergency.

What is the point of lift off hinges if the door is pressed into the jamb by the recumbent person inside? If there is no head height above the door to lift it up, what use are the hinges on a closed door?

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Originally Posted by Fuzzie

What is the point of lift off hinges if the door is pressed into the jamb by the recumbent person inside? If there is no head height above the door to lift it up, what use are the hinges on a closed door?

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When you hang the door you leave a larger than standard clearance that allow you to lift the door up off the hing pins whilst in the closed position. Next time you are in a new home have a look at the toilet door if it is a small room or next time you are in the green shed you will see them where all the cheap butt hinges are, Trio 85mm Chrome Left Handed Lift Off Door Hinge | Bunnings Warehouse
they are very common.
If you look on a set of architectural plans you will see the notation LOH on the effected bathrooms. It is a requirement for building compliance

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Originally Posted by Handyjack

If fitting a privacy lock, make sure it can be unlocked on the outside.
I had a client (with young child) who wanted a bolt fitted inside the bathroom. Would make it difficult to access in an emergency.

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Years ago my father had to assist the local Police Officer get a man out of the outhouse as he'd passed away and fell against the door. I've ALWAYS hated the doors opening inwards for that very reason.
MAH wanted one fitted to the bathroom. There's only the two of us????

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Originally Posted by China

I don't understand why all internal doors are not sliding doors

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We were among the first residents of a new tract of homes. All of the homes had a sliding door between the laundry room and kitchen. One of our neighbors wanted a paper towel rack on the wall under the top cabinet. No problem, the neighbor just put some screws into the wall to hold the towel rack. Unfortunately the screws also went into the sliding door. LOL.

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Originally Posted by China

I don't understand why all internal doors are not sliding doors

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Sliding door cavities in standard walls are are terrible in providing sound insulation between rooms, often acting as a resonator.

Additionally, they are terrible in cold climates. Not only do they provide hopeless inter-room insulation, but very rarely do builders seal them to stop air exchange between the framing cavity/roof space/under floor and the sliding door cavity.

I would have thought an unsealed door would have been a good thing in terms of exhausting smells. If air cannot get in then smell cannot get out.

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Originally Posted by China

I don't understand why all internal doors are not sliding doors

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You will when one drops off the track 1/2 open and all struggle to vacate the bathroom and correct said sliding door which is jammed from inside is impossible. Necessitating removal of track cover from above on the otherside by someone outside. Even more ARPIA if in a wheelchair. OR the door has slid so far into cavity solitude and privacy is not an option till rectified. Arthritic fingers and hands mid winter don't help either using them.

Placement of light switches is just secondary.

Add to that the kids who slam them either way day and night.

Recent discussions with builder doing a quote etc for bathroom, laundry, toilet restructure could not get through NO sliding doors, they can not be removed in an emergency! Still drew the inot the plans and quoted on instalation......bye bye builder.!!

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Problem is not many people know of the door hinge removal lift syistem including paramedics.

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Whenever I handed over a new house to a client I always explained and demonstrated the operating procedure for most critical things ie: monthly test of HWS pressure relief valve, lighting gas HWS, safety switches, RCD, privacy locks, any remote control, lift off hinges, etc, preventative termite measures.
I could tell some stories of those who didn't listen, some are very funny but that would take far too long